Shuffle
by MikazukiDreams
Summary: Just a little bit of everything. [series of oneshots]
1. like a golden sunrise

_**Standard disclaimer applies here**_

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**Shuffle  
By MikazukiDreams**

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**Chapter 1— Like a golden sunrise  
**

**Summary:** We're all winners in our own way.

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I loved her first.

Even though I was young and a bit silly, living a life of confusion and uncertainty, I always knew I loved her.

She was everything. She was the fresh summer breeze, the light smell of vanilla, the first ray of sunshine after a cold, long winter. She was the beacon of light in my time of darkness. She was the twinkling laughter that was music to my ears, the anchor that kept me from losing my mind in loneliness. She was my best friend, the girl who was always there, always watching, always _caring. _

I had this fantasy long before I received their mail today. That she would belong to me one day, and I to her. Somewhere deep inside, maybe I had this little knowledge that she wasn't ever going to be mine, but I refused to believe that. After all, for five years she'd been mine, and mine only.

I should've known better.

After all, everyone always liked him more.

-x-

He wasn't bad. He wasn't my enemy or anything. In fact, he was the complete opposite— he was my best friend. He was also my boss, the head of the company I work for. And he'd been gone overseas for those five precious years she'd been mine (or so desperately I wanted to believe).

He surprised me when he told me he liked her; after all, he was a man of picky tastes, always proclaiming unworthiness on females whom he'd never even had a chance to meet. And so I smiled and patted him on the back and promised to set up a date for them both, because they were my best friends and it would be selfish of me to only want happiness for myself, right?

I can't say they were smitten after their first meeting— perhaps even the opposite. It was like watching one of Jane Austen's novels, _Pride and Prejudice, _come to life right before my very eyes. At first, they were hostile, and in ways I was relieved. But over time, I saw it; changes impossible to ignore. Gradually, she drifted away from me. Gradually, she slipped through my fingers, like fine sand.

Gradually, she became his.

-x-

Now as I glance at the expensive invitation in my hand, decorated with fine gold script, I wait for feelings of bitterness.

Surprisingly, I don't feel a thing.

And maybe now I realize that sometimes storybooks lie and that your first love may not be your last and that sometimes (if you're lucky) you'll find someone who loves you unconditionally and when you do, you hold onto those people forever.

So I hold the card in my hand with pride, because I've helped create a perfect love for my two best friends, and I smile as I feel hands creep up and wrap around my chest and a soft head lays on my back.

"Sakura-chan and Sasuke are getting married?" Hinata asks softly, peeking over my shoulder.

I turn around and place a kiss on her forehead. "It's about damn time, don't you think?" I say, and Hinata blushes and smiles.

And I grin because she makes me grin and I laugh because she makes me laugh and I love because she makes me love and I know, in the end, I haven't lost after all.

I may have not gotten Sakura Haruno, but I am happy.

_**Fin.**_

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**Note: **just because i had a flash of inspiration. if you got any prompts, feel free to inbox me on tumblr! i don't usually reply to PMs on this site.

-A

PS: oh and if any of you know any super great Dramione fanfics, holla at me! i'm a little bit obsessed. :)


	2. Paper Hearts

**Summary: **There's more than one way to express love to another.

**Prompt: **love letters

_For sundes2013_

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**Chapter 2****—**** Paper Hearts  
By MikazukiDreams**

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"Hinata! Over here!" Sakura waved frantically to her friend in the busy street. She was seated at a local shop in the village, delicately sipping a cup of boiling hot tea. Tsunade had given her the week off from the hospital and she'd decided to spend the day outdoors, in the warm Konoha weather.

She'd slipped on a pretty sundress, something she never wore to work (too much staining potential) and let her hair loose, relishing the soft breeze fluttering through her pale pink tendrils.

Hinata appeared and dropped down on the seat across from Sakura, face slightly flushed. In her hand was a neatly folded piece of paper.

"I'm so sorry I'm late, Sakura," Hinata said apologetically. "I was held up by something." She showed Sakura the paper in her hand.

Sakura took the paper in her hand and glanced at Hinata expectantly, and unfolded the paper when Hinata nodded.

"What's this?" she murmured, bright viridian eyes scanning the paper in front of her. Scrawled across in messy black ink was a letter:

_Dearest Hinata-chan,_

_Our team has arrived in Ame! The weather is looking pretty good and we haven't been ambushed yet so the mission has been going smoothly. I think about you every day and I can't wait 'til I see you again! I'll bring home a souvenir for you. Anything in particular you have in mind? Anyway, I love you, dattebayo! Write back soon!_

_Lots of love, _

_Naruto_

"We write each other little love letters when we're apart," Hinata said shyly, blushing to the roots of her dark hair. "It gives me something to look forward to when he's away, you know?"

A wide smile spread across Sakura's face. "That is the sweetest thing _ever! _I'll have to do that with Sasuke-kun! He's leaving in a couple of days on a week-long mission…" Her face fell as she realized something. "Sasuke's not the type to write love letters, though."

Hinata patted her friend's hand reassuringly. "Don't worry about that, you never know! Write to him; it'll let him know that you're thinking of him. He'll write back."

The smile reappeared on Sakura's face as the confidence returned. "Okay. I'll do it."

-x-

It was the first night Sasuke left, and Sakura finally sat down with a fresh piece of paper and unscrewed the lid of her pen.

It took her about thirty-five minutes to come up with something charming to write to her boyfriend, and after fussing about it for another fifteen minutes, she finally put her pen away and skimmed over the words she'd written.

_Dear Sasuke-kun,_

_How is the mission going? It's kind of quiet when you're not around to pick fights with me and I suppose I do_ _miss you a lot. Make sure to eat properly (I don't want to hear about you eating those dog treats Kiba had because you lost your food pack) and dress warmly because I heard it is a bit chilly where you guys are going. Keep safe, okay? I love you._

_Love,_

_Sakura_

Pleased with how she'd written her letter, she rolled it up and tied it to the leg of a tawny night owl Hinata used to send her messages to Naruto. The owl hooted before taking off into the night, and Sakura watched until it became nothing more than a dark speck in the sky, illuminated by billions of twinkling stars.

-x-

Sakura was ecstatic when a letter arrived for her the next morning, written in Sasuke's elegant writing.

_Sakura,_

_What did I do wrong this time? You're not quite acting like yourself. _

_-Sasuke_

Sakura's jaw dropped. After she'd spent that long writing a beautiful love letter, this was all he had to say in reply?

That _asshole._

Sakura stomped over to her desk and pulled out another piece of paper. Angrily (and messily), she wrote:

_To the ungrateful piece of shit called Sasuke,_

_I spent that long writing you a love letter and that's the best you can do? Really? You little shit. Why do you assume I have everything but good intentions every time I do something nice, you self-righteous prick? Jeez._

_Sakura_

She sent it off without a second thought.

-x-

The rest of the week flew by in a whirlwind of insults and name-calling, written hastily in ink; the only thing that remained consistent was how fervently the letters were written…

-x-

On Tuesday, Sasuke wrote back:

_Dear harpy,_

_What is wrong with you, you fickle woman? It's not my fault you act like a bitch on a regular basis and I feel suspicious of you whenever you're being "nice". Tone it down. If I weren't so damn cold from this fucking atrocious weather here, there'd be more insults. _

_-Sasuke_

…But that didn't stop him from sending the letter along with a small package of sweet tea cakes that he knew Sakura would like.

-x-

On Wednesday, Sakura replied in fury (although she did appreciate the sweets Sasuke had gotten for her):

_Dearest prick,_

_You ignorant little twat! I TOLD you to bring extra clothes! Serves you right! You think you're oh-so tough wearing nothing but a flimsy sweater, huh?! You arrogant, aggravating, unappreciative asshole! I hope you freeze your primp ass in the cold you shithead! How's that for "nice", you twit!_

_Sakura_

…But that didn't stop her from sending a package containing a warm scarf, a hat and gloves.

-x-

On Thursday, Sasuke (with the scarf wrapped around his neck and a hat pulled over his head) replied in a scribble of letters:

_Annoying pinky, _

_I brought more than a "flimsy sweater", you bitch. What'd you want me to bring, a fucking suitcase on this mission? How's about you don't be "nice" because you're just a fucking annoying bitch. I'M aggravating? Have you seen yourself? You're an impulsive and crazy as hell monkey who likes to drag me around by my dick. You're a fucking psycho, you know that?_

_-Sasuke_

…But that didn't stop him from sending back a beautiful silk scarf he'd bought for her at a local market in the village square.

-x-

On Friday, Sakura (with the silk scarf wrapped around her shoulders) wrote back:

_The Asshole,_

_I never said to bring a fucking suitcase. It's not my fault you act like a princess and assume I want you to bring that many clothes with you. And it's not my fault you act like a fucking horny bastard every damn day and want to rip off my clothes, you fucking pervert! And if I were really a "psycho", I'd have chopped of your dick in your sleep, you piece of rhino shit. _

_Sakura_

…But that didn't stop her from sending Sasuke a package of homemade snacks she'd made, in case he was hungry.

-x-

On Saturday, the last day of the mission, Sasuke replied (with a full stomach, thanks to Sakura's delicious home cooking):

_Sakura,_

_You are the single most annoying person I have ever encountered in my entire life. You're insufferable, crazy, impetuous and you drive me fucking insane._

_See you soon._

_-Sasuke_

…And along with the letter, Sasuke sent a little box; and when Sakura opened it, it revealed a beautiful, sparkling crystal cherry blossom necklace.

-x-

Later that Saturday night, Sakura laid out all of the letters she'd received back from Sasuke, and read through them again fondly— laughing at the all the insults they'd called each other and marveling at how _thoughtful _Sasuke really was, buying her gifts while away on a dangerous mission.

_They may not have been like Naruto and Hinata's love letters, _Sakura thought to herself, _but they're real._

-x-

"…Hey," came a voice by the door, and Sakura glanced up in surprise. There, leaning against the doorframe with a beautiful smirk on his pale face, was Sasuke.

"You're back," Sakura whispered, before running forward and launching herself into her boyfriend's outstretched arms. Sasuke gave a low chuckle and tightened his grip around her.

After a moment of silence, Sasuke finally spoke up. "You annoy the shit out of me," he murmured quietly into her soft pale curls, "but I missed you."

In response, the rosette gave him a feather-light kiss on the jaw and released a content sigh, and as he picked her up to take her to bed, all she could do was smile.

Love letters were nice, but having the person you love _here, _with you, was even _better. _

_**Fin.**_

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**note: **not the greatest thing i've ever written but i've been hella stressed lately since school's about to start again and i just wanted to throw something out there. keep the prompts coming!

-A


	3. Anchor

**Summary: **She keeps him in touch with reality when he drifts away.

**Prompt: **lost

_For that anon on tumblr who gave me this prompt- you know who you are (because I don't)._

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**Chapter 3****—**Anchor  
By MikazukiDreams

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_He feels like the king of the world. He sits on the shoulders of an unseen face, but that doesn't bother him. This shadowed figure is familiar; he knows him well. They're walking back home together, laughing, and enjoying the warm sunshine that peeks through the clouds._

_They round the corner to their estate— a large mansion surrounded by cherry blossom trees, finished with a sparkling blue lake._

_But something twists and suddenly he's alone and it's nighttime, and the unseen figure is gone._

_It's too quiet; like the calm before a storm, he can't ignore a nagging feeling in his gut when his feet move unconsciously, frantic almost, into the doors of his home._

_He blanches at the sight before him. Red, so much red, staining the floors, painting the walls. So much red it terrifies him, because it pools around two figures sprawled on the floor. _

_Mother. Father._

_He tries to scream but he can't— it's like his heart has replaced his Adam's apple in his throat and his vocal chords are frozen. He stares in horror until something in the darkness shifts, and he's greeted by the sight of two swirling red eyes, watching him intently. Fear seeps into his bones and he turns and flees, running around the corner of the hallway—_

—_but then he's pressed up against the wall, a pale hand wrapped around his neck, and he's choking. He feels the bruises that are marring his skin and he struggles, but he can't escape. He kicks and punches blindly into the air, until it twists into something much darker…_

_There's a flash of lightning in the dark sky, and he doesn't know where he is. All he can feel is the sickening texture of something warm and sticky, and when he looks down, he realizes it is blood; but not his own. His eyes search, but they find nothing. He doesn't know what to do. He's hopeless. Instead, he nearly retches at the unmistakable metallic smell in the air— and then his eyes meet something._

_Or specifically, someone._

_And the figure reaches forward, and…_

-x-

Sasuke wakes up to gray clouds and the slight tremble of thunder; disheveled, disoriented, disgusted. Sweat pours down his face and he's shaking from the magnitude of the nightmare.

He doesn't bother checking the flashing red digits of his alarm clock, because it's not the time that's of any importance. No— not today. It's the day that matters. It's a day he can't ever seem to run away from, a day when he bathes in the regret of his actions. It's a day he loses himself in temporary oblivion; where he can't feel or see or hear anything.

It's been almost two years, but he can never forget the day he killed Itachi.

His brother. The person who sacrificed his reputation and his life to make sure Sasuke wouldn't lose his. The person who cared so much but showed so little. The person who allowed himself to be hated, hunted, harmed by so many.

Sasuke throws off his covers and rolls out of bed; he can't tell if it's daytime or not because the sky is so dark. But he doesn't mind— it's a day of mourning for him, and the melancholy mingling in the atmosphere suits his attitude perfectly.

He dresses quickly and leaves his home, not bothering to eat. He doesn't have time for that today. He just puts on his clothes— all black, liquid regret— and walks out into the oncoming storm. No umbrella, no jacket. Nothing but empty black eyes and a hollow heart.

The graveyard is close, enclosed by a thick iron gate, and he can see rows upon rows of stone graves, marking the deaths of the fallen; people who died too young, too soon, too tragically. When they talked about the war in Konoha, the villagers often glorify the event, and shadow the mourning and tragedy by ignoring it. As if it didn't happen.

But Sasuke knows. He knows that while you can fix broken down buildings and replace shattered glass, you can never have back what you lost. The originality of something is burned away with the destruction until you're left with something completely new.

He finds Itachi's tombstone; it's nothing fancy and it's engraved with minimal letters, but it screams unsaid words: hero. Savior. _Brother_.

He lays down on the grass beside the tombstone, and it's only then he realizes it's pouring rain; like Mother Nature is unleashing her fury, and he is taking the brunt of it. He doesn't mind, however; he just lays there, dead eyes, cold heart, and so, so _empty. _He closes his eyes. He doesn't say the words he's supposed to say, like _I'm sorry _or _I miss you. _He doesn't say anything, allowing the silence to stretch between the distance, interrupted only by the loud cries of nature.

And the silence is fine with Sasuke— there weren't enough words to shows his devastation, but silence…silence is something he and Itachi always had. It's a quiet understanding between brothers, a soft acknowledgement.

-x-

He doesn't know how long he lays there for— seconds? Minutes? Hours?— but his body feels numb from the chilly air and his eyes won't open. He feels something floating away: maybe his mind, maybe his soul— but suddenly he's fifty feet in the air, lost, drifting. Reality brushes against his toes like a lifesaver, calling him back, but he doesn't respond. He doesn't know if he wants to.

-x-

He's floating into oblivion.

-x-

Time passes and he's still lost, wandering in the space between nothing and everything. Somewhere in his blurred daze he hears someone calling his name, but he can't make out who it is. The melodious voice seeps through the thick fog of nothingness, trying to bring him back. He can no longer hear the rain.

"Sasuke," the voice whispers softly, and a warm breath tickles his numb lips, helping him feel again. "Sasuke, come back to me now."

And suddenly the fog dissipates and his black and white and gray world is filled with colours; brighter colours that dragged him back. Colours that remind him of who he is. Colours that secure him back to reality.

Fingers as soft as silk brush against his cheek and the voice whispers again, like a ghost licking the shell of his ear, "Sasuke."

He feels himself falling back into place, piece by piece, slowly. And finally, he opens his eyes to the gentle colours of pale pink and green, dazzling against porcelain skin.

Sasuke sits up, shivering slightly, until _she _wraps him up in a warm cloak and brings a warm Thermos of hot tea to his blue lips. She doesn't say anything else. She doesn't need to.

He's grateful of her for never telling him _it's okay, _because it's really not. He doesn't know exactly _when _he'll be okay again— it could be a few days or a few years or a decade, it doesn't matter. So he's glad. He's glad she doesn't lie to him and tell him that _it'll be okay_, like everyone else does.

He's glad that she's here, always saving him, always pulling him back. His anchor. His single strand to reality. His beacon of hope.

He leans forward and presses his lips against her forehead, a feather-light touch, and whispers, "Thank you, Sakura." _For being here._

_**Fin.**_

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**note: **i wrote this at 2:30 AM last night so i'm not sure how this really is. tell me what you think, yeah? love you boos.

-A


	4. black cloaks

**Summary: **He swoops in, always silent, always watching. Waiting. Taking.

**Prompt: **Sasuke dies in a hospital.

_For lyrasworld_

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**Chapter 4****—** Black Cloaks  
By: MikazukiDreams

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She works with nearly every patient in Konoha Hospital. In every room, a patient would await her dazzling smile and gentle hands, waiting to be cured by the ever-so-famous Sakura Haruno. She is a saint in a territory of death and despair, for her healing hands are able to delay the even the eventual— inevitable— death that waits for everyone.

And so she puts on a smile every day, her pale pink locks tied up in a messy bun, glasses perched on her nose, a white lab coat on. She walks with the utmost elegance, in quick strides, but ever-so-graceful. She offers her kind smiles to anyone who would look her way (which, of course, is absolutely _everyone_) and they, in return, would smile back— regardless of their circumstances.

They are all too infatuated by her collective exterior to really see the turmoil that lies underneath.

They do not realize her aching heart, which pounds so fiercely against her ribcage; but, at the same time, seems to die away with each slowing beat. They do not notice the panic in her deep emerald eyes, shielded by the pretentious veil of happiness.

They do not realize that she is dying slowly on the inside; that she is crying for help.

-x-

She likes to avoid room 723.

Maybe it's her failure that threatens to tear her apart. Maybe it's her heart that threatens to rip right out of her chest. Maybe it's her eyes that threaten to spill over waterfalls every time she sees him.

She can't fix him, and it shatters her very being.

-x-

War is not a beautiful tragedy, she likes to think to herself. War is not about victory but rather of loss, of death. War is not something to be proud of, nor should be so intensely glorified that naïve audiences take it as something so shallowly simple, like a huge event of good versus bad.

War is about broken souls and endless tears.

Sometimes she'd visit Ino during the night. Ino, who puts on such a cheerful, bossy, _confident _façade during the day, is reduced to crumbling ashes by sundown. Ino is married to Shikamaru and has a one-year old daughter, whom she loves more than anything in the world, but Ino cannot be always so _content_.

Sometimes, during her night visits to see her best friend, Sakura would be greeted with the tear-streaked face of the usually confident blonde.

"Forehead," Ino would cry, launching herself forward and throwing her arms around Sakura, "Forehead, Hana asked about her grandfather today and I couldn't bring myself to tell her the truth. I…I miss my father!"

And Sakura would stay until the sun rose again, talking to Ino about everything and anything— anything to distract the two of them.

War is not a scar that will fade away. War is not simply forgotten.

-x-

It hurts her when she overhears them talking about him. They're never positive words, such as _he's going to live _or _he'll make it. _Instead, they murmur their worries in hushed, low voices, but she can hear them as loud and clear as day: _he will not survive. _

The irony is, he _did _survive. He survived, only to die. _He endured a war_, she wants to scream, _he deserves to live. He deserves to get married to a nice girl and have children and to live a long, happy life, damn it! _But instead he lies lost in a white hospital bed, surrounded by white walls, demanding isolation. He is beyond repair. She has tried, pouring in all her effort, but to no avail. She'd cried for Tsunade, screamed for Shizune, yet they could do nothing.

_I'm sorry, _they'd said to her after months of brutal healing. But they weren't nearly as sorry as she is.

-x-

He breaks his long period of seclusion on a rainy day. She's not sure what day of the week it is, for the days bleed into weeks and time is merely an accessory she no longer cares for. If she were to keep track of time, it would feel like counting down the days to his death.

She doesn't want that.

The rain is coming down in sheets when she enters his small room, lightning flashing and thunder booming, but she immediately notes a faint curve of a smile on his face. He'd always been a fan of storms, she knows.

She sits down by his bed, cautious. He'd never called for anyone before, and she is not quite sure why she's here.

He doesn't look at her right away; his attention is instead turned to the large window, watching the wrath of Mother Nature. After a moment of silence, however, he speaks up. His voice is low and soft when he murmurs, "I want to ask you a question."

Her heart freezes and she silently prays that he doesn't ask her how long he's got because she can't bear to tell him that— to voice out everything he already knows. She doesn't utter a word. Doesn't even breathe.

"That night…do you still mean it?" he asks, almost hesitantly. He's still looking away, avoiding her eyes.

In that very moment, her heart _shatters. _It does not break or crumble. It is, like him, beyond repair. Words get caught in her throat and she can't speak.

"I get it if you don't. But I wanted to hear you say it again. Even if you have to lie. Just one last time." His voice sounds so distant, so lost, so far off it very nearly kills her.

"Don't you dare speak like that, Uchiha Sasuke!" a scream rips from her throat. Her eyes are tingling, on the verge of fresh tears. "Don't you dare give up!"

His head whips around and he sneers at her. "Give up on _what? _I have _nothing. _I _know, _okay? I fucking_ know _that I'm not going to make it so stop being so stupid and clinging on to that false hope you seem to think it reality. I have nothing," his voice rises, eyes flashing, "and I _want _something. I want to leave with something good. I want to leave with a good thought I can cling on to so if you have to fucking _lie, _lie to me!"

She doesn't speak.

"_Lie to me, Sakura!"_

"I _can't!_" she yells back, sobbing. "I can't. I can't lie to you because it's the truth and I don't want that, Sasuke. I'll be empty without it."

His expression softens and he murmurs softly, in a tone she had never heard him in before, "Please." It is pleading, desperate, and she feels her resolve crumble to ashes.

"…Yes," she whispers finally. "Yes, I do. I do and I mean it and just know you're taking a piece of me right now by having me say this truth, because this is all I have left of you."

He reaches up, his hand curving on her cheek. "I'll hold onto that piece of you, then. I'll take care of it, and when the time comes you can have it back."

And this time she really cries. She lets down all her walls and she's no longer the confident, smart medic that the outsiders know her as and she's not the unwavering friend who's always there and she's no one but a sad little girl, tears spilling and chest heaving like she's experiencing true pain for the first time, but it's nothing like a scrapped knee or a broken arm. It's a hurricane in her body, a fucking _storm, _ravaging and ripping everything apart and it _hurts _so much but she can't stop.

Somewhere in the corner, Death is lurking. She knows. She can sense him, waiting to swoop in; always silent. Always taking. Waiting. Watching.

It's worse than the war.

-x-

She wakes up to coldness.

The early morning sun is shining ever so brightly outside, but she doesn't care. Instead she looks at the face of the boy lying lifeless in front of her, all pale skin and cold hands, and she brushes her fingertips across his lips.

His face is softer now, almost at peace; calm, serene.

A gentle, sad smile graces her lips as she places her hand over her heart, listening to the light beats. Calling for him.

"I love you, Sasuke-kun."

And somewhere in the morning mist she can hear a reply; the steady thump like music to her ears. Calling for her.

Waiting for the day they'd reunite again.

_**Fin.**_

* * *

**Note: **oh wow that was kind of depressing. hm.

-A


	5. catalyst

**Summary: **She was a trophy that made him feel like the champion of the world.

**Prompt:** winners in gold

_for anon (tumblr)_

* * *

**Chapter 5— Catalyst  
By: MikazukiDreams**

* * *

It wasn't fair, what she did to him. With all her brilliant smiles flashing every which way and her skin absolutely radiant, she attracted the attention of anyone and _everyone _in Konoha High. This was a problem, of course— she was supposed to be _his. _Perhaps she didn't know of this yet, but that was the way it was supposed to be. She wasn't supposed to be flirting with Inuzuka by her locker or blushing at all the shallow compliments Lee was desperately throwing her way.

He was _not _impressed.

…_Especially_ not today.

There she was, donning her new cheerleading outfit for Konoha's big final match against Oto's football team. She was surrounded by her the gold-and-red decorated cheerleading squad— with Yamanaka attached by the hip— and she was laughing happily at something one of the girls had said.

If her laugh— which sounded like fucking _music _to his ears, so different than the snorting laughs of some of the girls in Konoha (_cough _Watanbe _cough_)— didn't attract enough attention already, she had to expose her perfect body for the entire student population to admire. Her creamy, mile-long legs were all alluring, barely hidden under a skirt so short it could've passed off as nothing. All the guys were staring, and he was tempted to break their noses.

He had a hard enough time resisting how beautiful she looked on a daily basis, so why did she have to do _this _to him? He cracked his knuckles absentmindedly.

"Oi, teme," his idiot of a best friend said, slapping him on the shoulder and snapping him out of his reverie. "Ya gotta chill, man. We can't have the star quarterback off in la-la land. Why don't you just go and talk to her?" Naruto grinned at him with an all-knowing look, and he rolled his eyes.

"Fuck off, dobe. I don't know what you're talking about," he snapped, shoving his duffel bag into his tiny locker and slamming it with more force than necessary.

Naruto snickered. "There's usually a different between being a complete _wuss _and being in denial, but hell, I think you're _both_!" He flashed another megawatt grin. "Oh, _look. _I think I see Kiba walking towards her right now…"

Sasuke's head snapped around so fast he nearly got whiplash. He was ready to launch his most deadly glare at the mutt-loving idiot— _clearly _Inuzuka had no sense in self-preservation— but much to his surprise, he wasn't there. He heard Naruto chortling behind him and turned his glare onto the blond boy.

He'd been duped.

"I knew you had feelings for her, man, I just didn't know how _bad _it all was," Naruto said, cerulean eyes sparkling with laughter. "If I didn't know any better, I'd say that you're whipped."

All he got in reply was a raised middle finger from the now-brooding Uchiha, stomping down the hall angrily.

* * *

"Hey, Sasuke baby," Ami Watanbe crooned as she perched herself up onto his biology lab bench. Biology was his most favorite class nearly every year; not because he was a big fan of the subject, but it was because Sakura was always his partner in the class. She was unrealistically brilliant in the field subject (well, she was in _every _subject, but he knew that she especially held a passion for biology and medicine), well on her way to being valedictorian. They usually bickered throughout the entirety of the class, but it was harmless— kind of— and, well, they still managed to get work done _and _receive top marks, which was excellent.

Unfortunately for him, Sakura had stepped out to take a washroom break, and apparently Watanbe decided that it was an opening to smother him with her suffocating presence.

"I can't wait for your big game tonight," she purred as she leaned in closer, oblivious to the fact that he was trying to ignore her. "I just _know _we're going to win, with a quarterback like _you. _Perhaps you'd like to come over after and…you know, _celebrate."_

Sasuke fought the shiver washing over his body and opened his mouth to tell her to _fuck off, _when he was promptly interrupted.

"Perhaps you'd like to clean up your drool and stop sexually harassing my lab partner," Sakura said icily. Sasuke turned, feeling relieved, and watched in mild amusement as Sakura's usually bright orbs were flashing angrily. All eyes turned to the two girls, both glaring at each other in pure hatred— no one spoke a word. Not even the teacher.

"Forehead girl," Watanbe sneered, pushing off of the bench and hovering over Sakura. She was a good two inches taller than the pinkette, Sasuke noted.

"It's been over ten years, Ami," Sakura snarled back. "I'm starting to think you're harboring some _obsession_ with my forehead. Really," she added, eyes narrowing dangerously, "don't you have any better insults?"

"As a matter of fact, I _do," _Watanbe grinned maliciously. "You're nothing but a wannabe slut, dressed in your slutty cheerleading uniform, acting all innocent all the time, wanting to attract the attention of all these guys who don't think of you as anything but a good lay. Wake up, sunshine," she barked, "because one day you're going to wake up and realize that _nobody likes you."_

Sakura's body was trembling from the sheer magnitude of her anger, and Sasuke abruptly stood up from the bench, laying his hand on her arm to prevent her from doing something irrational. He and Sakura exchanged harsh names frequently, but they never meant any of them.

He turned a deadly gaze on Watanbe, whose expression suddenly shifted to fear as she cowered under his murderous look. "Apologize. _Now."_

"B-but Sasuke, baby, I-"

"_He's not your fucking baby!_" a shrill voice shrieked and seconds later, Ino Yamanaka arrived at the scene. The platinum blonde stood her ground beside her best friend and, blue eyes flashing, spat, "You're just a self-obsessed _cow _who's jealous of the fact that Sasuke would rather be in _Sakura's _presence instead of yours. Stop being such a rude little bitch and get over the fact that _he wants nothing to do with you. _You are a vulgar, irresponsible, shit-disturbing bitch and unless you shed that holier-than-thou attitude, you're not going to find _anyone _who'd be willing to spend time with you."

Watanbe stared at Yamanaka with wide eyes before returning her gaze to Sasuke. "S-Sasuke, is that true?"

He didn't say anything at first, just continuing to look at the rise-and-fall of Sakura's body, which was tense and coiled. Finally he said, in a low voice, "Apologize to her."

Watanbe looked at him furiously and whipped her head around to look at Sakura. "Sorry," she bit out, turning her heel and storming out the door.

Yamanaka slung her arm around Sakura and led her towards the door, murmuring, "It's okay. Don't listen to that stupid cow, she doesn't know what she's even saying." Yamanaka then turned her head around and registered the still-stunned faces of the people in the classroom.

"Get back to work!" she barked out, all confidence and authority. "The show's over."

Reluctantly, the students slowly returned to their lab work and the low murmur of chatter continued. Sasuke only watched as Yamanaka took Sakura away to the girls' washroom, leaving him all alone in his favorite class.

* * *

He didn't see her again until a few minutes before his game, when he was donning on his gear by the locker room. She walked up to him, no squad in sight, and stopped right in front of him.

"Hey," she said, her voice light. "Um, I just wanted to say sorry for bailing on you in bio today. And, um, thank you for what you did back there. It was nice of you."

She sounded so uncharacteristically like the Sakura he was accustomed to— the spitfire Sakura, all biting words and sharp tongue— that he merely snorted.

"I'm not nice," he said. He eyed her up and down, secretly appreciating the nice view just before his game. "And put on some clothes, Sakura, you're gonna catch a cold." He lowered his gaze back to the helmet sitting in his lap, adjusting it.

Sasuke heard— _heard _her jaw drop before she snapped, "Seriously? I try to be all nice and _this _is the way you are? You arrogant little shit! I take all that nice crap I just said to you back!"

"Zip it, pinky," he drawled, admiring the way her cheeks were lightly dusted with pink. "You being _nice_ to me results in me getting shivers."

"Good!" she cried. "Get shivers! Jeez, the _one time _I bury my pride and say something genuinely _nice _to you and you just completely—"

He didn't know what made him do what he did next, but he didn't regret it.

Halfway through Sakura's sentence, Sasuke felt himself propelled forward, his lips crashing onto hers in sheer force, cutting off whatever she was about to say next. A soft gasp escaped her lips, but Sasuke didn't care. His lips kept moving, urging her to move with him; hard, urgent— years of want and need and watching from afar came crashing in on the moment.

She stilled for a instant before she wrapped her arms around his neck, bringing him in closer, and Sasuke felt his mind go blank and an elated feeling rise in his chest. He could vaguely recall the thundering beat of her heart by his, separated by nothing but two layers of clothing.

He pulled back after a while, allowing her to breathe, before leaning back down and whispering against her lips, "Six o'clock. Tomorrow night. I'll pick you up."

He backed away this time, a faint smirk grazing his lips as he took in her slight swollen lips and flushed cheeks.

She looked…beautiful.

He turned and walked down the hall, helmet tucked under his arm, when she called out after him. "Good luck, Sasuke!" He turned around and glanced at her, his smirk growing as he saw her standing there, a grin lit across her face.

"I expect to go on a date tomorrow night with a _winner," _she emphasized cheekily, green eyes glittering with mirth.

"Of course," he replied, offering her one last smirk before heading down the hall to the field.

Konoha hadn't won the championship title— _yet_— but Sasuke Uchiha already felt like a champion.

_**Fin.**_

* * *

**note: **I just really felt like doing a high school themed Sasusaku lol. tell me what you think, yeah? I love hearing from you's.

-A


	6. Band-Aid

**Summary: **Sticks and stones may break my bones but words will never hurt me.

**Prompt: **_chibi!Sasuke_/redeemed!Sasuke

_**For Vivienne**_

_**Standard disclaimer applies here**_

* * *

**Band-Aid  
By: MikazukiDreams**

**[6]**

"Why are you so mean to me?" a little girl shrieked, kicking at the group of laughing girls surrounding her. Her lush pink hair was matted down with dirt and grime and spit from the bullies, and her new white dress (that her mother bought her just a few days ago) was spotted with red juice stains and yucky food stains. The head bully, a nasty little girl with a vicious sneer twisted on her face, laughed bitterly.

"This is what you get for flirting with _my _Sasuke-kun," she hissed, narrowing her dark eyes. "Don't you know _anything? _Sasuke-kun's an _Uchiha. _He doesn't have time for little dirty trash like _you." _The other girls snickered at Ami's hurtful words.

Sakura wiped her eyes. "I-I wasn't flirting with him!" she protested. "H-he let me use his crayons!" She stood up, dusting of her filthy dress. "I didn't flirt with him at all! You're wrong!"

Ami's faced twisted with anger and shoved Sakura back down to the ground roughly. "Are you calling me a _liar, _you filthy brat? I saw you. We _all _saw you. Don't play stupid, you pink-haired freak. We all know you love Sasuke-kun. It's too bad Sasuke-kun will never love _you." _She tapped her chin, pretending to be in thought. "Oh wait, you want to know _why? _Because Sasuke-kun's too cool for someone like _you!" _she laughed gleefully.

The rosette felt tears pricking her eyes, and touched her knee, which was bleeding due to the rough way she fell onto the rough pavement. Her vision clouded with tears as she watched the group of girls laughing loudly at her pain.

"I didn't," she whispered. "I didn't. I didn't."

"Shut up!" Ami snapped, and slapped her across the face. "You're a stupid, pink-haired nerdy freak. You should write 'loser' on that massive forehead of yours," she smirked, before turning to her friends.

"C'mon girls, let's go. Who knows what might happen if we stay too long around this loser? I don't want to catch _cooties," _she empathized, looking disgustedly at the crying girl. With that, the girls all crowded around her and strolled off, giggling.

Sakura buried her head down in her arms, sobbing loudly, crystal tears flowing down her red cheeks.

"Hey, are you okay?" a soothing voice said, and the person kneeled down beside the crying girl. Sakura wiped her eyes feverishly, embarrassed that she got caught crying, and looked up.

Dark, obsidian eyes stared back at her worriedly. A heated blush found its way to her pale cheeks, and she quickly averted her eyes. "I…I'm f—"

"It's okay to cry."

Her eyes shot up, surprised, and the tears that were welling up in her eyes spilled over. Unconsciously she threw herself into the boy's arms. Burying her face into his neck, she sobbed loudly.

"I don't like it here, Sasuke-kun," she cried, and he rubbed her back on soothing circles. "I don't belong here. They don't like me, Sasuke-kun. Nobody likes me."

Sasuke scoffed. "They're stupid," he said. "Don't worry. I like you because you're not like them, Sakura," he added, much to her embarrassment. "I don't like clingy little girls. I'm sorry you got hurt because of me. Next time, I'll come and set things straight, okay?"

The girl let go of Sasuke and sniffed. "Okay."

Just then, Sasuke noticed the bleeding cut on the little girl's leg. His eyes widened. "Hey, you're bleeding!" he exclaimed. He stood up and rummaged through the pockets of his white shorts. "Here," he said, pulling out a navy blue band-aid, "put this on. It'll make your cut feel better. My mommy always puts one in my pocket in case I get hurt, but you can have it."

"Thank you," Sakura smiled; a beautiful, stunning smile that lit up her angelic face. She fumbled with the band-aid, and was surprised as it was pulled from her chubby fingers.

"I'll put it on," Sasuke said, and stuck it on Sakura's bleeding knee. "There!" he said confidently. "It looks almost as good as when my mommy puts it on."

Sakura blushed.

"Thank you," she said again.

Sasuke gave her a lopsided grin in response, extending out his hand for her to take. "Here," he said, "I'll walk you home, okay?"

"Okay," she whispered, taking his hand. Sasuke pulled her up, not releasing his grip; instead, he twisted his fingers and intertwined them with hers.

"Hey, maybe we can go for dango after! My brother is supposed to be home early from work today," Sasuke added thoughtfully. He turned to her. "Would you like to?"

She nodded, her face flaming, as they began to walk. She was covered in filth and grime, a band-aid on her bloody knee, but she never felt happier in her life. Her bright green eyes fell to their intertwined fingers. It felt warm in hers and it fit perfectly, just like a puzzle piece.

_**Fin.**_

* * *

**note: **Hey it's been a while! School's been hella crazy like you would not believe and I haven't had much time to write— so yeah, this is an oldie. But I felt like I needed to post something because _SASUSAKU IS CANON LIKE OMFG MY HEART CAN'T HANDLE IT IT'S TOO BEAUTIFUL SASUKE IS A DADDY AND SAKURA IS HIS WIFE AND THEY HAVE A LITTLE DAUGHTER NAMED SARADA AND GOSH SHE'S A CUTIE PIE. _And Naruto's finally ending after 15 years which makes me really sad because it used to seem like one of those mangas that would go on forever, ya know? Feels like a part of my childhood is over. :( I can't wait for the movie and the mini-series next spring, though. Huge shoutout to Masashi Kishimoto for all the time and effort he spent on his brilliant masterpiece. Love ya man.

Anyhow, tell me what you think!

-A


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